Our Blog
The Mashpi Amagusa Reserve Saved By Donations
The Basantes family now owns 62-hectares of their precious Mashpi Amagusa Reserve thanks to kind donors.
Celebrate the Fiestas de Quito with Local Friends
The Fiestas de Quito always felt a little hard to enjoy when we lived in Ecuador’s capital. It was a deeply local celebration — the kind where every neighborhood threw its own party, and no one was promoting it to outsiders, let alone tourists. Still, one year stands...
The Mashpi Amagusa Reserve Saved By Donations
The Basantes family now owns 62-hectares of their precious Mashpi Amagusa Reserve thanks to kind donors.
Celebrate the Fiestas de Quito with Local Friends
The Fiestas de Quito always felt a little hard to enjoy when we lived in Ecuador’s capital. It was a deeply local celebration — the kind where every neighborhood threw its own party, and no one was promoting it to outsiders, let alone tourists. Still, one year stands...
Altitude Sickness Relief That Actually Worked For Me
If you've traveled to high altitude destinations, like Quito, Ecuador or La Paz, Bolivia, you've probably experienced some degree of altitude sickness. I first experienced it in 2011 in Cusco, Peru. We got off the plane and I was hurting immediately with flu-like...
Thoughtful & Affordable Gifts for Responsible Travelers
“What are some actually useful, sustainable gifts for people who travel a lot?” We hear it all the time... we've thought it ourselves! This guide is packed with thoughtful, practical, and planet-friendly gifts for travelers who believe that how we move through the...
Cueva de los Tayos: A Sacred Place at Risk of Mass Tourism
The Cave of the Tayos: From Sacred Sanctuary to Trending Tourist Attraction Deep in Ecuador’s Amazon region lies the Cave of the Tayos — once a sacred sanctuary and haven of biodiversity — now a place that stirs deep reflection within me. This iconic site, long...
Are You a United-Statesian?
Like most citizens of the United States, I call myself American all the time. It wasn't until I moved to Argentina that I learned how egocentric this single word can sound to Central and South Americans, especially when speaking in Spanish. Imagine a conversation that...
Testing the Swarovski AX Visio: Smart Binoculars in the Wild
Can smart binoculars really change the way we bird? Scott and Angie set out to answer that question with Swarovski’s new AX Visio in hand. From Oregon’s coastal marshes to the cloud forests of northern Peru, they put the world’s first smart binoculars through...
Ama EcoLodge Offers Easy Access to Ecuador’s Amazon
Ama EcoLodge welcomes guests to experience Ecuador’s Amazon with easy access from Quito, immersive cultural experiences, and a deep respect for the environment. Built during one of the most challenging times for tourism (yes, the pandemic), this small but comfortable...
The Essential Ecuador Pre-Trip To-Do List
When our US clients use their personalized itineraries to head to Ecuador, they travel with a list of recommendations for making their trip safe and memorable. Those recommendations begin with a list of things to do BEFORE they ever arrive in Ecuador. Here is the...
HEART Transforms the Way You Travel
A few years ago, while taking a course in Transformational Travel Design, I learned about the acronym HEART. Maybe it's the military brat in me, but I have a secret love for well-designed acronyms. This one reinforces the tools that I know are essential to a memorable...